Court of Appeal Acquits Dr. Olufemi Olaleye, Overturns Life Sentence for Defilement
The Court of Appeal in Lagos has acquitted and discharged Dr. Olufemi Olaleye, the Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, overturning his conviction for defiling his wife’s 16-year-old niece.
The court reversed the earlier judgment by the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, which had sentenced Dr. Olaleye to life imprisonment.
Justice Olukayode Bada, who delivered the lead judgment, stated that the trial court had erred by convicting Dr. Olaleye based on “tainted” and “unreliable” evidence provided by his estranged wife, Oluremi, and the alleged victim. The appellate court also found flaws in the prosecution’s evidence, including contradictions and the lack of credibility in testimonies from a child forensic specialist, a medical doctor, and the investigating officer.
The court further criticized the trial judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, for allegedly interfering with the proceedings and attempting to fill gaps in the prosecution’s case. It also questioned why key witnesses, including two family members who supposedly witnessed Dr. Olaleye’s alleged confession, were not presented during the trial.
In its ruling, the Court of Appeal highlighted that the prosecution had failed to conduct a trial within a trial to verify the voluntariness of Dr. Olaleye’s confessional statements, which he claimed were made under duress after six days in police custody. Ultimately, the appellate court ruled in favor of Dr. Olaleye, determining all five issues of appeal against the prosecution.
